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Property taxes make people homeless, and that's unfair
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There is no such thing as a "property owner" in Pennsylvania. We pay 20 to 30 years on a mortgage only to find that all along we were paying only for the privilege to rent (pay taxes) for our home to a government entity.
I'm not opposed to taxes. I'm opposed to a person giving a lifetime of blood, sweat and tears only to lose his or her home because of an illness, a job loss or some other bad break in life. Losing a home because of unpaid taxes is a kick in the teeth to a person who is already down.
The unfair and arbitrary assessment system is but a symptom of a much larger problem that needs to be addressed. Property taxes need to end.
House Bill 1776 (sponsored by Rep. Jim Cox, R-Berks) is an attempt to replace property taxes with other tax avenues. Nobody likes taxes, but they must and will have to be paid. We need to assure that we and our fellow Pennsylvanians do not become homeless because of property taxes.
THOMAS A. REINHEIMER JR.
Banksville
First Published July 20, 2012 12:00 am
